Her bright safety jacket isn't the only thing that stands out for Julie Moore.
"The pay is good, the benefits are good, and I thought it would be a good opportunity for me," said Moore, a Waste Management driver.
After all, she is a woman doing what's often thought of as a man's job.
"They think we are dirty," Moore said. "I mean, we do get dirty, don't get me wrong, you have a long, hard day. But for the most part we try to interact with the customers and be courteous, and I think the drivers want to get across that we are normal people just like everyone else."
Moore started working as a Waste Management driver last June, when Waste Management bought Deffenbaugh.
"We acknowledge the challenges we had during the integration of Waste Management upon the purchase of Deffenbaugh, and what we have really found is that employees are the key to success," said Waste Management community relations manager Paul Howe. "The truck industry has a hard time acquitting drivers, and we definitely bore the brunt of that over the last year."
Howe said Waste Management has hired Moore alongside dozens of drivers and collectors to relieve serious customer complaints like failed pick-ups, sometimes for weeks at a time.
"We really appreciate the patience, and we apologize for the inconvenience they experienced," said Howe. "We have worked hard to make sure we have the right number of people and that they are trained appropriately."
Because while they do handle trash, Waste Management wants to be a treasure in the community.
